Since the 6th March 2022, The Home Office has been helping Ukrainian refugees join their family members in the UK through the ‘Ukraine Family Scheme’.
To be eligible, the applicant must:
- Be applying to join or accompany his/her UK-based family member;
- Be Ukrainian or the immediate family member of a Ukrainian national who is applying to the scheme; and
- Have been residing in Ukraine prior to 1 January 2022 (including those who have now left Ukraine)
Additionally, the family member based in the UK must be:
- A British national
- Someone settled in the UK – for example, they have indefinite leave to remain, settled status or proof of permanent residence
- Someone from the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland who has pre-settle status and started living in the UK before 1 January 2021
- Someone with refugee status or humanitarian protection in the UK
Finally, the family member must either be:
- an immediate family member; or
- an extended family member; or
- an immediate family member of an extended family member
For your information, please note that:
An immediate family member is a:
- spouse or civil partner
- unmarried partner (you must have been living together in a relationship for at least two years)
- child who is under 18
- parent (if you are under 18)
- fiancé(e) or proposed civil partner
An extended family member is a:
- parent (if you are over 18)
- child who is over 18
- grandparent
- grandchild or your partner’s grandchild
- brother or sister
An immediate family member of an extended family is the:
- spouse or civil partner of an extended family member
- child under 18 of an extended family member
- parent of a child under 18 who is an extended family member
- fiancé(e) or proposed civil partner of an extended family member
With this visa, applicants will be able to stay up to 3 years in the UK.
In the wake of the current situation in Ukraine, The Home Office has pledged to provide the outcome of the application as quickly as possible.
If you wish to talk to us about the Ukraine Family Scheme or you want to obtain further information on the visas and application process, please contact our friendly team of London immigration lawyers at Barar and Associates at barar.london@bararassociates.co.uk or call us on 020 7487 8370. You can access more information about us via https://bararassociates.com/.
